My Hands are Shaking from Holding Back From You
by siriuslymerlin
Summary: Kim Conweller hadn't expected much out of high school, past a degree. She's pretty invisible, and that's the way she likes it. Suddenly, she's not so invisible anymore and the person looking at her is the last person she'd expect.
1. Chapter 1

Kim Conweller sits in her car, drumming her fingers on her steering wheel. She's early to school today, only because her mother was actually home this morning, a rare thing for the busy radio host. For once, Kim didn't have to make breakfast in the morning for her and her little brother. So, she left a little early.

No one's here, not this early, so Kim waits, fishing out her calculus notes, going over the notes for the quiz they were sure to have today. Mr. Callum, her calculus teacher, was notorious for pop quizzes.

She loses track of time, but before she knows it, the parking lot is filling up and Laura, her best friend, is knocking on her window. Kim rushes to pack up her things and hop out of the car.

"Hey, sorry, I was studying, and I just lost track of time, I guess," she explains, tucking her hair behind her ears. Laura waves her apology off, smiling and hooking her arm through Kim's.

"Nah, don't worry about it, girl, come on," she says, leading them into the school. People mill around the hallways, talking at their lockers. Kim puts her own things away, glancing briefly down the hall at the locker six away from hers. It belongs to Jared Cameron, her long-time crush. He's nowhere to be seen, of course, he hasn't been for a few weeks.

Kim sighs, unable to help that she misses him. It's dumb, she knows, but she's always had feeling for him, ever since middle school. She remembers the moment vividly. She had been late that day, and stumbled in just after the bell rang. Jared had been the hall monitor that day, and it had been his job to report tardy students. He'd just winked at her and smiled, telling her he could let it slide. She'd been in love with him ever since.

Of course, he got hot when they hit high school and she didn't, so he never spoke to her again. Still, she can't help but carry a torch for him. She drops her gaze, shaking her head. Junior year is halfway over, she needs to get over this before senior year, so she can actually enjoy her life for once.

She heads to her first class, and pulls out her notes for a quick study session before the quiz. Mr. Callum calls for quiet, announcing the quiz. Everyone groans, disappointed. Kim smirks to herself, thank god, she thought ahead.

Just before he could pass them out, the door burst open, and Jared Cameron bursts through, a tardy slip in his hand.

"Sorry, Mr. Callum," he says, handing over his slip. Mr. Callum snorts, but gestures for him to sit down. Kim watches him discretely through a curtain of her hair. He looks… different, somehow. Taller, filled out. The most obvious change is his hair. La Push boys tend to wear their hair long, a tribe thing, but Jared's shorn his hair. His beautiful, luscious hair.

Silently, she mourns for the hair, the beautiful flow. Actually, it looks good like this too. Who is she kidding, Jared would look good even if he was prematurely balding.

Jared plops down in the seat in front of her, and Kim marvels at the way he fills out the space. He wasn't skinny by any means before, more lithely muscular before. Also, she can see all the muscles in the back of his neck, and that isn't helping the situation in any way.

Kim can hardly focus on the quiz in front of her, but she does her best. Jared doesn't have to take the quiz obviously, so Mr. Callum is having him get a head start on all the homework. Jared flips through the packet, clearly bored.

She's quick to finish up, and she feels pretty confident about her answers. As she turns it in, Mr. Callum stops her.

"Hey, Kim, I wanted to ask you something," he says. Kim nods, a little worried. "Listen, you're one of my best students, and Jared's missed a lot of time. I think you should help him catch up."

Kim stares at him, wide eyed with panic. Spending time with Jared is only something she can do in her fantasies. Talking to him in real life is impossible.

"Um, Mr. Callum, I just don't know—"

"Jared, come up here please," Mr. Callum interrupts, with complete disregard for her sanity. Jared nods, sauntering up. Kim drops her eyes, letting her hair fall around her face.

"Kim here is going to help you catch up in calculus, every day after school until you're completely caught up with the material. Kim, for your time, I'm going to be counting this as extra credit."

"Oh, okay, yeah," Jared says, frowning a little. Kim flushes; of course, he doesn't want to spend time with her, she's invisible and he's Mr. Popular. Jared turns to her, but Kim looks firmly at her feet, trying to control her breathing.

"Alright," Mr. Callum says, breaking an uncomfortable pause. "I'll let you two figure out a time."

Kim rushes back to her seat and tries to swallow down the panic. Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god.

"Hey, I'm Jared." There's a hand in front of her. One perfect, tawny, strong hand. Oh god. "And you're Kim?"

"Um yeah." She takes a deep breath and forces herself to look up. Jared's got this expectant expression on his face, and it makes him all the more handsome. His eyes are this deep, rich color, and suddenly Kim's drowning.

Jared finds her eyes, and his mouth slowly goes slack.

"Um, are you okay?" Kim asks, after an entire minute has passed in silence. Jared stares harder, and yeah, Kim is starting to freak out a little. "Jared?"

"Yeah, no, I'm good," he says. His eyes never break contact with her own though.

"Okay. So, I was thinking maybe after school we could just meet on the benches outside? It's nice enough I think."

"Yeah, I, sure that sounds good." The intense eye contact still hasn't stopped.

"Okay, well, I have class now, so I'm just going to… go to that." Still feeling incredibly awkward, Kim gathers her things up, and waves to Jared, who's still staring at her.

Weird.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi guys! Now, you may be wondering, why didn't you include an author's note in the first chapter, and why are you even including one? The answers: I forgot, and I like to preface my writing a little bit. That being said, welcome! I'm not exactly a fan of the vampire side of twilight, but I always liked the pack side of things, so I thought there was no better way to explore the pack without any awkward vampire love stories! Enjoy**

One of the many, _many_ weird things about turning into a giant wolf is being trapped in each other's heads. Sam has them going out on patrol every night, just in case. Paul still spends most of his time trying to regain control, so right now, it's just him and Sam, which means he's trapped in Sam's head.

Mostly, it boils down to worrying about an impending leech problem and worrying about his girl problem. Previously, before this whole wolf conundrum, he'd been engaged to Leah Clearwater, which hadn't been that noteworthy in it of itself—tons of people on the res got married right out of high school—but then he'd phased, met Leah's cousin Emily, and promptly imprinted on her.

Of course, Sam couldn't exactly explain to his long-term girlfriend turned fiancée why he was leaving her, because the tribe forbade giving away the wolf secret to anyone outside of the pack. The whole situation caused him tons of unnecessary drama and heartache in Jared's opinion, but Sam maintained it was worth it, because he got to be with Emily.

Now, Jared understands him _completely._

It was like everything had been muddled and slow before he saw Kim, and now, the world had been thrown into absolute clarity. Everything revolves around her, she's the only thing keeping him attached to the world.

Jared can't help but stare at her, can't help drinking in her every feature. Her face is heart-shaped, cheekbones sharp and prominent. Her eyelashes are long and fluttery, brushing the soft, silky looking skin of her cheek. Her mouth is full, and her lips are luscious.

She's saying something, and immediately Jared is yanked out of his reverie to focus on her words. She stares at him with something like uncertainty on her face, and Jared wants to smooth it away, see her smile.

He responds, and so does she, and suddenly, he's got plans to meet her later. Jared can barely focus the rest of the morning, thinking about Kim, when he was going to see her next, what she was doing, what she was thinking.

At lunch, he scans the cafeteria carefully, keeping his eyes peeled for Kim. He finally spots her, sitting in the corner with a few friends, but before he can go over, some of the boys he used to hang out catch up to him.

There's a chorus of "Jared!" and "Yo, man what's happening?" and Jared finds himself at his old table, center stage in the middle of the cafeteria. The boys are the same as when he left them, but somehow, he doesn't find anything they say funny anymore. He's distracted and bored with them. There's a little voice in the back of his head telling him it's Sam's fault, that he's too different now that he can explode into a wolf.

In the hubbub, he loses sight of Kim, and grits his teeth to calm down. He's still stupidly temperamental, and the slightest thing could set him off.

The bell rings, and with that he's off to class, eyes peeled for any sign of her. Kim. If only he knew what her last name was.

Finally, the last bell sounds, and Jared is home free. He rushes over the benches outside the front door and snags one, forcing himself to look natural while he waits for Kim.

Maybe it's the enhanced speed and strength, but apparently, he's early. Several minutes pass before he catches sight of Kim, headed his way. Time seems to stop, and all Jared sees is her. She seems to be floating towards him, arms pulled tight around herself and head tilted down.

"Hey," Jared greets her, voice a little shaky. She blinks rapidly, surprised.

"Am I late? Were you waiting long?" Worry and embarrassment creep into her voice and Jared bites down a smile. Adorable.

"Nah, you're fine. Right on time." He puts on his most charming smile, praying it doesn't turn out creepy. Of course, it might, considering the half grimace Kim's sporting.

"Okay. Do you want to start with chapter three? It's just basic derivatives, which is pretty easy," Kim offers. Jared blinks, confused, before remembering the only reason they were there was because of calculus.

"Oh, yeah, explain away." Jared tries not to cringe at the lame words. For the next hour, Kim talks him through the finer points of derivatives, and Jared just falls deeper. She's wonderfully sweet, and talks to him in a way that make him feel smarter. She's perceptive too, anticipating where Jared will have trouble before he himself does.

"Okay, well, I think that covers it," Kim says finally, packing her notebooks away. "Um, if you have any questions on the homework, you can catch me before class maybe?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for this, Kim, you're a life saver," he says, grinning goofily at her. Kim gives a little half smile and dips her head. "Wait, do you have a ride home? I could drive you if you want." Her head jerks up, eyes flashing panic. Jared's smile melts off his face. "Or not."

"Oh, no it's okay, really, I have a ride, I'm good." Her heart beats wild and irregular, a telltale sign of a lie. Jared doesn't call her out on it, staying silent.

"Um, I will… see you around, I guess," she says. Her voice peters out to a barely-there whisper, and color floods her silky cheeks. With that, she gets up, brushing her hair out of her face. Jared take a second to take in her frame, admire her build. She's thin and small, the word petite coming to mind. Her hands are tiny, and Jared can't help but think about how they might feel in his, how they'd fit perfectly.

"Yeah, see you," he says finally, waving goodbye. She walks away, glance back once to peek at him. Her posture is stiff, and her arms are tight around herself. Jared closes his eyes, heaves out a sigh.

The most beautiful girl in the world, a goddess, an enchantress, his imprint, is scared of him. Just perfect.

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Not going to lie, I have quite a bit of this written already, and I'm on winter break, so I think I can keep with a regular updating schedule, at least until school picks back up again. See you guys next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi there! I wanted to introduce Kim's family in this. I know most people usually give Kim a younger sister, but I feel having a younger brother might give her a different edge. Enjoy the chapter!**

Spending time with Jared had been…different. Kim hadn't expected this meeting to go very well; she was sure he had plans for after school already, being the popular jock was. Still, she got the weirdest sense that they were having a good time, learning about calculus of all things. Kim sighs, shaking her head. That would be the rose-tinted Jared goggles talking, convincing her that Jared actually liked her, when, in reality, he probably felt indifferent towards her.

Sometimes, being invisible really sucked.

When she gets home, she finds her younger brother Eric relaxing in the living room, watching TV. From her position in the doorway, she can see the TV, but he can't see her, so she takes a minute spy on him.

Sure enough, he's sitting there, enraptured by an episode of The O.C. Kim laughs quietly to herself. Eric will lose his mind if any of his friends find out he watches girly drama shows. Middle schoolers can be so cruel.

"Whatcha watching?" she asks, vaulting over the back of couch to sit next to him. Predictably, Eric shrieks, fumbling around for the remote. Kim bursts our laughing and doesn't stop until the TV has been successfully turned off and Eric is glaring daggers at her.

"Nothing," he grumbles darkly. "What are you doing home so late anyways?"

"Oh, I had a tutoring gig," she explains, pulling her knees up to her chest. Eric scoffs.

"Please, like you could get through an entire hour of talking to a stranger. As if," he taunts her, smirking when she scowls.

"Yeah? Well, I got through it just fine! And Jared actually might've learned something." Immediately, she regrets her words. Eric knows all about her embarrassing crush on Jared, considering he takes every opportunity he can get to snoop around in her room and read her diary.

"Ooohh, Jared," he teases, half-singing the words. "You're tutoring your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Kim grabs a pillow and smacks her laughing brother as hard as she can with it, grinning triumphantly when it hits its mark.

"Yeah, no shit, he doesn't even know you're alive," Eric counters, arms held aloft to defend anymore pillow attacks. Kim flushes. Her dumbass brother has a point. "Although, now he might."

"Don't curse," she mumbles, giving him a half-hearted shrug. Eric softens, though there's still a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Aw come on, sis, I bet you rocked his world so hard he's totally in love with you now. I bet he wants to marry you. I bet he wants you to have his babies—ackk!" Kim launches herself at her brother, effectively tackling him to the ground. He groans, shoving her off, but Kim doesn't budge, instead maneuvering so she's sitting on his stomach. Eric wheezes.

Just then, their mom comes home, and upon seeing her children wrestling on the living room floor, heaves a huge sigh.

"Kimberly, get off your brother please." Grumbling, she lets Eric up, running a hand through her hair to fix it. "And Eric, you be nicer to you sister." Now, it's Eric's turn to grumble.

Kim wanders into the kitchen, where her mother's pouring a glass of wine. Kim smiles sympathetically.

"Rough day?" she asks, already gathering the ingredients for dinner. She has homework she needs to get to, things she's already behind on because of Jared, but it can wait she thinks, her mom should come first.

"Oh, Kim, you have no idea, sweetie. We had all of our interns come in today. The colleges started a new semester last week, so they're all here, ready to start." Donna, Kim and Eric's mother, works at the local radio station, playing rock and hits from the 80's and 90's, with the occasional top forty chart topper. It's one of Forks' favorite radio station, not to mention La Push.

"Thanks for cooking tonight, baby. I knew I could count on you," she says, pressing a kiss to Kim's forehead. With that, she settles on couch sipping her wine while Eric pretends to do homework.

While cooking isn't her favorite thing, Kim doesn't mind, especially if it helps out. She knows how hard her mom works to support all of them, and if this is how she can help, so be it.

An hour later, Kim's doling out spaghetti and meatballs, and yelling for Eric to come and set the table. He comes, because he's not a total asshole, but he grumbles about it because he's a little shit.

Once everyone sits, Donna surveys her children, smiling softly at them. Kim raises her eyebrows.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asks. Truthfully, she loves seeing her mom in a good mood, but the way she's smiling is a little odd.

"I'm just glad I have you two," she says cryptically. "Anyways, tell me about your days."

"Kim got to hook up with her boyfriend," Eric blurts. Donna sputters, choking on her pasta.

"What? What new boyfriend? Hooking up?" She looks wildly from Kim to Eric, and Kim can already feel the intense blush she's sporting.

"No hooking up, and no boyfriend either. Eric's just being an ass."

"Kimberly, don't call your brother an ass. Eric, don't be an ass." Kim laughs, hoping that means the topic's dropped.

"So, if I don't have to worry about my daughter hooking up with strange boys, then what do I have to worry about?"

"Nothing, mom! It's just… I'm tutoring this guy in calculus, that's all." Kim sort of hates the way her mom lights up at that, like it would be so impossible to Kim to talk to someone, let alone tutor them.

"Oh, honey, that's great! What guy?" she asks, taking a sip of her water. Before Kim can answer, Eric butts in.

"Jared Cameron, the guy she's been in love with forever!" he crows, neatly dodging Kim's attempted slap.

"Oh! Shelley's son? You like Shelley Cameron's son?" Donna asks, surprise coloring her tone.

"No! I just think he's cool, that's all." Kim tries to defend herself. Eric snorts.

"Yeah, right. You want to get married and have a million babies and—hey!" Kim really does land a slap this time, face burning. Donna's eyes soften.

"Your first crush! Oh, honey tell me all about him!" Suddenly, Kim can't stand everyone's eyes on her, Eric's teasing and Donna's excited. She gets up abruptly, pushing her plate away.

"I'm full," she announces. "I've got homework to do." Without waiting for a reply, Kim flees upstairs to her room, away from prying eyes.

Upstairs, she's guilty enough that she actually does do homework, but she's barely paying attention. Several minutes later, there's a soft knock on the door.

"Hey, Kimmy," her mom says, voice soft like Kim is some sort of child.

"Yeah?" Donna steps into the room, holding out a plate with some pasta on it. Kim feels her anger melt.

"Just thought you might still be hungry, and that maybe you might want to talk," Donna explains. Kim shrugs, words failing her as usual.

"So, tell me about Jared." Kim laughs softly, letting her hair fall around her shoulders.

"He's… way out of my league. He's cool and popular and athletic, and I'm just me."

"Kimmy, there's nothing wrong with who you are. So, what if you're not a chatty Cathy, that just makes what you have to say that much more important. And if that Jared can't see how special you are, I just don't think he's worth your time!" Donna declares, pulling her daughter into a hug. "You can always talk to me, okay. Anytime."

"Yeah, mom. Thanks." With another quick hug, Donna leaves her be, and Kim dwells on her mother's words. Of course, she'd say that, she has to as her mom. In the real world, boys like Jared didn't fall for girls like Kim.

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that, let me know what you thought. Till next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi guys, welcome back! Hope you guys enjoy some pack dynamics!**

Jared walks back to Sam's place in a daze. His head is spinning a little, and there's this weird tug at his naval pulling him in the opposite direction.

Still, when he makes it, Sam's not even there, but Emily is. She's just pulling a batch of cookies out of the oven when he walks in, throwing himself dramatically into a kitchen chair. She presses her lips together to try and hide her smile.

"Rough day?" she asks, setting the pan onto a cooling rack. Jared didn't even know Sam had one of those, but then again, he doubted Same did either.

"No, I just, I just need to talk to Sam, I guess." Emily's eyes soften at that, and she comes to sit next to him, one of her dainty hands coming to rest on his huge one.

"You can try me. I don't know as much about the wolf stuff as Sam does, but he tells me about it," she offers. Jared contemplates this; it would be good to have an imprint's opinion.

"I think I imprinted," he says after a beat. Emily lights up, squeezing his hand.

"Hey, Jared that's awesome! What's she like? What's her name? Tell me all about her!" Jared grins at her enthusiasm. It must get sort of lonely, being the only imprint.

"Her name's Kim. She's helping me out in calculus," he explains. Emily smirks at him, ruffling his hair.

"Hot for teacher, huh?" Jared bursts out laughing, dropping his head into his arms. For all her sweetness, it can be easy to forget she has a wicked sense of humor.

"What's everyone laughing at?" Sam walks into the kitchen with a human Paul, a rare sight nowadays.

"Jared imprinted on his calculus tutor, Kim," Emily explains. Paul flops down into a chair too, stuffing a handful of cookies into his mouth.

"Wait, Kim Conweller?" he asks, spraying crumbs all over the table. Sam cuffs the back of his head, but Paul's hardly paying attention. Jared's eyes go wide.

"Wait you know her? She's like tiny, long black hair, mind blowing good looks?" Jared demands. The excitement wakes his wolf, and Jared can feel it begin to inch up his spine.

"Uh, yeah. Kim. She's in my English class. We did a book report together last year," Paul swallows finally, and goes for more cookies.

"Do you have her number?" Jared demands, already pulling out his phone, fingers poised over the key pad. Paul gives him a weird look.

"I don't have it memorized. Besides, I don't think she has a cell. I think I just have her landline," Paul retorts.

"Cut him some slack, Paul. And stop stuffing yourself," Sam instructs. He's got on a rare approving smile on, one that makes him look years older. He and Jared used to be friends back in the day, and Jared misses the fun loving, carefree Sam he grew up with. "Congrats Jared. This is a really special thing. You should invite her over, we want to meet her."

"I would, but she's like, terrified of me or something. I guess I came across too strong the first time I talked to her." Sam snorts, looking at Emily.

"I'm sure you didn't do any worse than me." Jared smiles a little uncertainly. Sam and Emily met when Leah was taking him around to meet all her family, after they'd gotten engaged. It had been pretty ugly, from what Jared had seen in Sam's head.

"I just don't know what to do," he admits, slumping down into his seat. Sam frowns pensively.

"I guess," he starts slowly. "Just get to know her. Your job is to be whatever she needs, so maybe, right now, you could with friends? Build your way up?" Jared considers, and honestly, it sounds like a solid plan.

"Yeah. Thanks, Sam." Sam sits up straighter, looking pleased with himself. Finally, Paul reemerges from the kitchen, with a very impressive looking sandwich.

"What did I miss?" he asks, looking around the table. Jared shakes his head. Just then, Emily jumps up.

"Oh, I'm supposed to be home in twenty, I promised my sister I'd help with the baby. I gotta go guys, sorry, but Jared, good luck."

"Sure, I'll walk you out," Sam says, reaching for her hand. Jared and Paul smirk to each other, crack twin imaginary whips.

"You're one to laugh, Jared, that's going to be you in a couple of days. In no time Kim will have you carrying around her book and doing nerdy stuff with her."

"How much do you know about her?" Jared asks, completely ignoring the ribbing.

"A little bit, I guess. The res is small, man, you can't be in school for ten years with someone and not learn something about them." Paul frowns, trying to remember. Instantly, Jared feels guilty. He grew up here too, and he knows nothing about her.

"She reads a lot, I guess, and wears a lot of yellow. She has a little brother, Eric, I think. I helped coach Peewee football freshman year."

"That's all? Come on man, I need more than that!" Paul bristles immediately, and Sam, magical motherfucker that he is, appears to calm the situation.

"Jared, I think he's doing his best. Maybe you should just talk to her," he offers, gripping Paul's shoulder tightly. Subtle reminders from your alpha do wonders in calming the wolf. Paul relaxes, running a hand over his face.

"Alright, I'm tapped out for girl drama, I'm going to go home, see what's for dinner." With that, he's off, jogging down the lane. Sam sighs, looking after him.

"Look, don't worry so much about the imprint thing. It works out in the end. I'm pretty sure it's a biological thing, to ensure the next generation."

"Yeah, I guess."

Sam knocks a loose fist into Jared's shoulder, smiling a little. It reminds him of old Sam.

"The key is not being creepy. Don't come on too strong. Get her to trust you and then start a relationship. You'll have me, Emily, and Paul for back up." Sam frowns, backtracking. "Okay, maybe just me and Emily." Jared snorts, feeling a little lighter.

"Come on, let's go run a patrol. I want to know exactly how you blew it the first time." Okay, yeah, never mind, Sam's still an asshole.

 **A/N: Let me know what you guys thought! Till next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi guys! Now we're finally starting to get to the plot! Enjoy.**

At first, Kim thought this whole tutoring Jared thing was going to be impossible, considering she gets stupidly tongue tied around him. He doesn't ever mind, never making fun of her when she fumbles a phrase.

It doesn't pan out like her daydreams either. There are no grand confession of love and attraction, no make outs in the cab of his truck, no holding hands in the school hallways.

Still, it's nice. It's not like Kim's some friendless loser, but it's still feels good to make a new friend.

Today, Jared waits for her at the door of their calculus class, smiling at her. It's enough to screw with her balance, so Kim has to work on walking over normally.

"Hey, so I was thinking I could walk you over to your next class," Jared offers, looking nonchalantly at the books in his arms. Kim's eyes widen, and she can't help the way her imagination goes into overdrive, coming up with wild scenarios where Jared confesses his undying love for her. "Kim?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, that's, I have history—did you have another question?" she sputters out. Heat floods her cheeks, but Jared doesn't call her out on it.

"Uh, yeah. Can you explain number 14 again? I didn't get it when Mr. Callum did it." He runs his hand through his hair self-consciously, and Kim coos inwardly about how cute he is. Jared's pretty smart, actually, but Kim of all people can understand how embarrassing it is to ask someone for help.

She explains it to him as quickly as she can, walking beside him to her history class. She's pretty sure he has class in the opposite direction, but she's sure as hell not going to bring that she knows his schedule by heart. That would be a total stalker move. They stand outside the classroom until Mrs. Scanlon, her history teacher, clears her throat pointedly. Kim heads inside, giving Jared a little wave. He grins at her, wide and goofy looking, and heads off.

Needless to say, Kim doesn't hear a word Mrs. Scanlon says.

At lunch, Kim takes her usual spot in the corner of the cafeteria with Laura. They both always pack lunches, so the girls dump out their lunch bags, each picking and choosing from the pile in front of them.

Kim's unwrapping Laura's sandwich when suddenly, Jared Cameron's standing in front of her, holding a lunch tray laden with food. Laura recovers first.

"Uh, hey Jared. What's up?" she asks, suspicious. Kim swallows down the panic and forces a smile. Jared's own smile falters.

"Oh, I was just wondering if I could sit here today, if that was cool with you guys," he says. "Paul's sick, so I don't really have anywhere else…"

"Yes!" Kim blurts, way too loudly. Laura presses her lips together, like she's trying not to laugh, and heat floods into Kim's cheeks. Jared only smiles. "I mean, yeah, go ahead."

"Cool," he says, taking a seat. "Laura, right? I think I have art with you."

"Yeah, Mr. Henry's class," Laura agrees. "You know what, I forgot I had to… go do something, okay bye!"

Kim watches in horror as Laura leaves, leaving her alone with Jared. She knows that Laura's only trying to help, but Kim's not prepared! It's different when she's tutoring, because she has a general idea of what she's saying, but now, she has absolutely no idea of what to say.

Jared looks between Laura retreating figure and the expression of panic Kim's sure she's sporting. He looks down at his lunch, picking at it.

"So, that's a ton of food." If Kim could sew her mouth shut, she would, but of course she can't so she has to deal with her poor brain to mouth filter. Jared looks up, surprised. Oh, he's offended, he totally hates her, he thinks she's a crazy—

Instead of being mad, Jared cracks up. It's a beautiful sight; he laughs with his whole body, shoulders shaking, and head tipped back. His laugh is pretty cute too.

"Yeah, I guess it is," he chortles. "What's the deal with the pile?"

"Oh! Laura and I always share what we have, because she's super picky, and her mom never seems to pack what she wants, and Laura not allowed to pack her lunch, which is actually a pretty dumb rule—and I'm rambling, I'm sorry." Jared shakes his head, smiling kindly at her. Maybe he feels so bad for her clear social ineptitude that he's decided she's going to be his charity case or something.

"No, it's cool. I agree, it's a pretty dumb rule," he says. "What about you? Does your mom give you free lunch reign?" Kim giggles, tucking a few strands of her hair back.

"Um, she DJ's for 102.5, so she's never here in the mornings. I'm on lunch duty, for me and Eric." Jared's eyes light up.

"That's my favorite station! And I know Eric too, he came to the football camps Paul used to coach. How's he doing? Still playing ball?" There's a wistful note in Jared's voice that Kim can't place, but it makes her a little sad.

"He's good. He plays for the middle school team. What about you? Aren't you supposed to be on the team too?" The smile slips off Jared's face, and Kim instantly wants to take it back.

"Oh, well, I missed the back half of the season, and I think it's just better if don't play next season," he says, a melancholy look in his eyes.

"But you're so good! I've seen you play," Kim says.

"Yeah, thanks. No, I guess… I've moved on," he explains. Kim frowns but doesn't push it. It certainly doesn't sound like he's moved on.

"Enough about me," he says suddenly. "Tell me about you. What do you like to do?"

"Oh! Well, I like reading, mostly, and crafts, I guess," she mumbles, flushing. This whole conversation is falling apart, and any minute Jared's going to realize she's not worth it.

"Hey that's cool, you're like an artsy type person," he says, shoveling an entire sandwich into his mouth. Kim's jaw drops a little; she's never seen someone eat like that. Jared stops mid-bite, cheeks puffed out comically. Kim clamps her jaw shut to stop the laughter bubbling up. He swallows, cheeks going a delicate red. Adorable.

"Uh, sorry, I'm just—"

"Hungry? No big deal, go ahead." Kim pick's her sandwich back up, taking a bite. Jared eats a little more carefully now, glancing at her every so often. It's endearing.

They talk for a little bit, and sooner then she expects, the bell rings. Kim's a little surprised, she's never clicked with someone like that before, enough to lose herself in the conversation. Jared walks her to her next class, and lingers long enough to aggravate her French teacher.

By the time school's over, Kim's actually excited for her tutoring session. She takes a seat at their usual bench and pulls out her books and waits.

And waits.

And waits some more.

Thirty minutes later, Kim's convincing herself not to cry, that Jared Cameron isn't worth her tears, when Laura drops onto the seat beside her.

"Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Kim hastily swipes at her cheeks and forces on a smile.

"You found me, what's up?" Laura's got a troubled frown on her face, and a crease between her eyebrows that means trouble. "Laura, what's wrong?"

"Jared talked to me in art class, said he had to skip your tutoring session. He said he was having a family emergency and he was really sorry," she explains. Instantly, Kim feels guilty and worried.

"Oh no! I hope everything's okay," she worries.

 **A/N: Sorry not sorry about the ending! Tune in next time to find out of things are really okay. Let me know in the comments if you can guess what this is about.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hi guys! This is a little bit longer than previous chapters, but it's action packed. Enjoy!**

Jared's never been so exhausted before. Right now, he's sitting in a hospital room, clenching his fists. Every time he closes his eyes, the day's events replay themselves.

Sam's agonized howl, high and piercing, sharp enough to cut through him, ripping the wolf right now. It had taken every ounce of control he had to stay human and not phase right in the middle of his art class.

He remembers trembling _hard_ as he talked to Laura, and how he'd tore out school, running as fast as his feet could carry him.

He remembers phasing as soon as he hit the tree line, regardless of who could be watching. Paul was already in wolf form, panic inhibiting him from phasing back. He was trying though.

 _Stay a wolf! Come on!_

Paul had followed, thankfully, fear making him obedient.

The scene they'd walked into had been horrific. Jared's never going to forget it, not as long he lives. He remembers the scent of blood all around him, and Emily's lifeless body in the grass.

Sam, beyond coherent thought, snarled and snapped at them.

 _Sam, let me help you. Let me through, let me help her. Paul, you stay here, calm him down._

Sam did let him pass, and Jared forced a phase, carefully gathering Emily in human arms. He rushes her first to the house, long enough to put on pants, and then flat out sprints to the nearest hospital, leeches be damned.

Now, he sits in the waiting room, waiting for the leech doctor to come get him.

God, _Kim._

He can't believe he just left like that, without saying anything to her. He hopes desperately she'll understand. He can't help but miss her right now, sure she'd have something soothing to say. He drops his head into his hands.

"Mr. Cameron?" The scent hits him before the voice does, and Jared focuses on not retching. He looks up.

Dr. Leech stands near the nurse's station, looking like a creepy statue. Jared pulls himself up and follows him silently.

"I have to ask," he starts, and immediately Jared bristles, wolf begging to be let loose. "Was it another wolf?"

"Our people have this handled," he says, voice ice cold. The doctor sighs, stepping away.

"Ms. Young is inside. She's stable, but the scratches are deep. It'll take at least a few day in hospital to heal, and some weeks of rest at home." Jared nods, curt.

"What should we do?"

"Remind her to change her bandages daily and take her prescription. Drink plenty of fluids and eat healthy. Rest." Again, Jared nods, pushing into Emily's room. The air's a little better in here, but not by much. Antiseptic mingles with blood for a sickening scent.

Jared takes a seat next to her, taking one of her hands. Emily's like family to him, supporting him when Sam was too hard on him. He can't bear to see her like this. He can't even imagine how Sam feels right now.

Jared must fall asleep, because he jerks awake when the door opens. It's Paul, scowling and holding a hand in front of his nose. His eyes soften when he sees Emily.

"She wake up yet?" he whispers, taking a seat on her other side. Jared shakes his head.

"How's Sam?" Paul shakes his head, looking down at his hands.

"It'll be days at least before he can calm down enough to phase back. Also, I'm the worst person for the job. Every time I get into Sam's head, it sets me off, and I have to calm myself before I calm him."

"Shit, I know, but someone has to be here with her, and there's no telling how you'll react to the leech infestation here." Paul nods, agreeing, but still looking miserable.

"Christ, this is so fucked up," he laments. "Did you call her sister?"

"Yeah. Sarah and David are trying to find a sitter. I told them it was a hiking accident," he explains. They sit in silence for a while, trying to ignore the deep devastation rolling through the pack.

A little while later, a nurse walked in, a sad expression on her face.

"Boys, visiting hours are over. It's only immediate family until 6 AM," she explains. Paul starts to tremble, so Jared jumps up.

"Her sister and brother-in-law are coming, but we don't know when. Is it possible that one of us could stay with her until they get here?" The nurse frowns, but nods.

"Sure, but just for tonight, alright? And just one of you," she agrees. Jared nods, gesturing for Paul to relax. She heads out.

"Paul, you go check on Sam, I'll stay here until Sarah gets here." Paul nods, rushing out. His trembling hasn't stopped, and Jared prays he'll make it.

It's late when Sarah and David get in, thanking Jared profusely for staying with her. He assures them he'll be back to help: in any way they need help.

He phases just outside the parking lot, carrying his pants in his mouth. He stashes them close to Sam's place, and listens for his pack.

 _Jared, we're out by the clearing._

 _On my way._

Jared listens for Sam, but all he's getting is bone-slicing agony. Suddenly, he's seeing Emily's face, her expression going from defiant to terrified in a split second. He can feel his claws slicing into her face, hear the choked gurgle of her scream.

It takes all his effort to shake away the thoughts, but the second he shakes it off, his mind replaces Emily with Kim. Suddenly, Jared's looking at Kim's brown eyes, wide with fear. He feels himself rip through her silky skin, slicing it to ribbons. It's enough to knock him off his course. He stumbles, falling with a thud. Jared lays there for a minute, agonized, before Paul finds him, thinking rationally.

 _That never happened, Jared, you could never hurt Kim._

 _Sam thought that about Emily._

A howl rips through the clearing, physically painful to listen to. Immediately, Jared wishes he could take back his words. It's just what he needs though, to take back control. Jared shakes away those horrific images of Kim and focuses on Emily, the image of her in the hospital, frail, but stable. Soldiering on.

Sam's pain tamps down just the slightest, and Jared focuses on the sound of her heartbeat, quiet but steady.

Jared replays the memory over and over, until Sam's thought become tangible words.

 _Is she… is she going to be okay?_

 _In a couple days. I know she's going to want you there, Sam._

 _She's never going to want to see me ever again._

This revelation is accompanied with another wave of sharp anguish, and surprisingly, it's Paul who pulls out of it first.

 _Sam, she's your imprint. That's a two-way street, man, you gotta be whatever she needs, and right now, I'm guessing she'll need a punching bag. And maybe a nurse._

 _Shut up, Paul!_

 _No, he's right, Jared. It's my job to bear her anger, especially considering I was the one who hurt her. I'll take whatever punishment she wants to deal out._

There's a sense of calm, but both Jared and Paul can feel there's no way Sam was phasing back, not tonight.

The three of them settle in the clearing, keeping vigil with Sam.

The next morning, the only person able to phase back is Jared, so Sam sends him to school, with a request to keep an eye on Emily.

He's late, but slides into calculus at the very last minute. Kim offers him a sympathetic smile, and instantly, Jared feels better. They've got a chapter worksheet today, and they're supposed to be working in pairs, so Jared swivels in his chair, facing Kim.

"Hey, partner," he greets.

"Hey," she says softly. Jared savors the calm in her voice. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," he pauses, unsure of how to explain the situation. "My friend Emily was mauled by a bear on a hike." Kim's eyes go wide with concern, and she reaches across the table to take one of his hands. Jared squeezes back, holding on like she's a lifeline.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jared nods, pensive.

"She's a fighter." At that Kim smiles, and warmth blooms in Jared's chest.

"Let me know if I can do anything to help, okay? I'd be happy to," she offers. It's taking a lot of control to keep from kissing her. Kim stares down at their joined hands and slowly pulls away, fishing out a pencil. They work on the worksheet, and before long they're done. Jared even feels like he contributed.

The bell rings, and without talking about it, Jared and Kim fall into step, head towards Kim's history class.

"I feel kind of bad—"

"What? Why?" Jared panics a little, because he thought everything had been going well.

"No, I just meant, you're always walking me to my classes. Aren't you ever late for yours?" Instantly, Jared relaxes, chuckling.

"Nah, I'm fast when I need to be," he says. Kim's eyebrows knit together for a minute before her expression smooths into a smile.

"Don't be late to class," she says, eyes twinkling. If the world boiled down to just Kim's eyes, Jared would be so down for that.

Kim's agreed to postpone the tutoring sessions until Emily's back at home, so for now, he spends his evening at the hospital, and nights with Sam.

On the fourth day of Emily's hospital stay, Jared's guilty enough about Kim that he actually pulls out his homework, going through some of the calculus first.

"Jared?" He's a little ashamed to say he jumped, but Emily's voice is nothing but a dry croak. He hops to, pouring her a glass of water. She takes it in a shaking hand, but she won't let him help. After a couple sips, Emily touches her face.

"How bad is it?" she asks. Her voice is a clearer, but there's a definite waver.

"Not bad. You have to keep the bandages on for a couple weeks, but it should be fine after that. The doctor said he missed your eye." Jared tells her, cheerful. She laughs, but it's hollow.

"Where is Sam? Did he go to get coffee or something?" Emily looks around, like Sam's going to pop out of a cupboard. Jared's heart hurts, but there's no point in lying to her.

"He… can't phase back right now. Paul's been trying to calm him, but…"

"You have Paul out there? Paul, who has zero control?" Emily looks resolute. "Bring him to me. Tell him I need him."

"I don't know if—"

"He'll come. Tell him I want him to be here."

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you thought. Till next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: And now, for a little action. Enjoy!**

Kim stands at her locker, rummaging around for her favorite purple pen. It's her editing pen, and they're getting their first drafts of their English essays back today.

"Hey, you," Jared's low, sexy voice sends shivers down her spine, and Kim has to breathe for a second before facing him.

"Hey, Jared, how are you?" He grins, and Kim notices he's a lot closer than he would be usually.

"Better, now that you're here. Hey, listen, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go down to the pier today? After school? The weather is finally clearing up," he says. Kim feels a flush travel up her neck, all the way across her cheeks and up to her ears.

"The pier?" She asks, voice breaking a little. The pier is a date place. Jared wants to take her to a date place. At her weird reaction, Jared steps back, looking crestfallen.

"Or not, it doesn't matter, never mind—"

"No! I was just surprised, I'd love to go," she says, loving the way Jared lights up.

"Awesome! You wanna go after school? There's this great diner, best milkshake you've ever had," he promises, beaming at her.

"Totally, I'll meet you in the parking lot after school." Plans made, Jared walks with her to calculus, telling her about Emily's recovery. She's doing well, and has been able to take the bandages off her face finally. Kim wants to meet her; she sounds like she means a lot to Jared.

After school, Kim waits in the parking lot for Jared to show. Suddenly, there are two huge hands obstructing her view. Kim jumps, but relaxes when she hears Jared low rumble of a laugh.

"Guess who?"

"Hey, Jared."

He takes her hand, and Kim has to focus all her energy on not swooning. Jared Cameron is holding her hand.

His truck is a beat up old Chevy, but Jared promises her it runs like a dream. She hops up into the passenger side, admiring the look of concentration that takes over Jared's face as he drives.

"You can turn the radio on if you want," he says, turning on to the main road. Kim smiles, and fiddles with the old stereo, looking for her mom's radio show. She finds it, grinning when she hears her mother's voice. The show's been getting really popular, which is great for Donna, but Kim misses her mom a little.

"Oh, I love this show," Jared says, laughing when Donna cracks a joke.

"That's my mom," Kim tells him, unable to keep the pride out of her voice. Jared looks at her suddenly, eyes wide.

"No way! That's awesome! It must be so cool to have her as your mom," he says, turning into the pier's parking lot.

"It's pretty awesome. She gets to meet rock legends all the time, so that pretty cool. Eric thinks it's lame, though." Kim's not sure why, but it's easy to tell Jared anything that comes to mind, even her private opinions on her family. Jared snorts.

"Eric's in middle school, he thinks everything's lame." Kim laughs, elated when Jared takes her hand again. They walk along the beach, enjoying the crisp March breeze. As promised, Jared takes her to get milkshakes, and Kim has to agree, they're the best.

Jared talks about his family, how it's just him, his mom, and his older sister, Karey. She's got a kid, Parker, around Eric's age. He doesn't talk about his dad, but Kim can tell it's a sore spot. At least he knows who his father is, Kim and Eric have no clue, though they know they have different fathers.

They sit in the sand for a while, quiet after a heavy conversation. Kim feels lighter, somehow. She knows her problems are still there, talking about them doesn't make them go away, but at least she feels better.

Jared's an exceptional listener, knowing exactly when she needs a sympathetic ear, and when she needs advice.

"Hey, listen. A buddy of mine, Sam Uley is hosting a bonfire next weekend. His fiancée, Emily, is moving in with him, so it's a pretty big deal. I thought it would be cool if you came down to meet them," he invites, looping an arm around her shoulders. Kim leans into him without even thinking, breathing in his earthy scent. Truthfully, she's a little nervous. She's met Paul already, and they got along just fine, but Sam and Emily are apparently really important to Jared.

"Sure, I'll be there," she agrees. It's a pretty big step, she thinks, if Jared wants her to meet the rest of his friends. A few months ago, Kim would've thought that would include the football team too, but Jared doesn't even talk to those guys anymore. After rumors begin to circulate about Jared and Paul joining a cult Sam runs, Jared's popularity has flown out the window. Still, Kim doesn't care. She has Laura, Jared, and now Paul. It's a pretty solid social circle. And besides, there's no way Sam's running a cult, not if Jared trusts him.

"Cool, I'll pick you up around seven maybe? Friday night?" he asks, pulling Kim a little closer.

"Sounds good to me," she agrees. They sit like that for a while, just enjoying each other, before Kim figures she ought to head home. She's got dinner to make.

Jared drives her back, and walks her to the door. They linger there, on the porch, just smiling at each other.

"So, this is me," Kim says, blushing a little. Jared flushes too, but it's harder to see on his skin.

"Kim," he starts, voice serious. Kim nods, letting her smile fall a little. "Can I kiss you?"

For several moments, maybe hours, or possible several sunlit days, Kim stands there, completely shocked. Jared Cameron wants to kiss her! Her, Kimberly Conweller, a little nobody from calculus class. Oh, she can't even believe this is happening, and she can't even imagine what Laura will say, and—

"Kim?" Jared looks anxious, and Kim realizes she's just left him hanging.

"Yeah, totally, I'd like that," she admits. Jared laughs, taking hold of her waist and pulling her in. Before she even knows what's happening, Jared presses his mouth to hers, and Kim _melts._

It's the best kiss she's ever had, warmth spreading through her from the tip of nose down to her toes.

Hesitantly, she brings her hands up to rest on his shoulders, reveling in his heat. All too soon, Jared pulls away, eyes glassy.

"Um, wow, that was, that was amazing," he says, voice hoarse.

"Yeah," Kim whispers. Her voice is failing her right now, and she can't actually get her brain to form full sentences.

"So, Friday?" he affirms, still holding on to her. Secretly, Kim thinks she'd topple over without his support.

"Um, yeah, totally." Slowly, her brain is coming back to life, reminding her she should probably go in, that Eric is probably watching this whole exchange and getting ready to mock her about it. None of that actually matters, not when Jared's looking at her like she's the _sun, the moon, and the stars._

"Cool," he says, and before she can react, he ducks in again, pressing a quick little peck to her lips before heading for his truck. Kim watches him drive away before she heads inside, feeling happier than she's ever felt before.

 **A/N: Finally! The moment we've all been waiting for! Let me know what you thought, and I'll catch you guys next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, kids, things are getting serious now. Enjoy!**

Jared walks back to Sam and Emily's in a daze. He's still reeling from the kiss, and the fact that Kim wanted him to kiss her. Her mouth had been perfect, the best goddamn kiss he's ever had. Paul's sitting at the table, wolfing down some muffins Emily made earlier.

"What's with your face, man?" he asks through a full mouth.

"Huh?"

"Hey, Jared, pull up a chair and I'll get you a muffin," Emily says, reaching up to pat his cheek. He does, still smiling. "Did you just come back from seeing Kim?"

"Yeah." At that, Paul sighs dreamily, batting his eyelashes like a cartoon, and just like that the spell is broken. Lightning fast, Jared reaches across the table and slaps Paul upside the head, cackling at his murderous expression.

"Do not provoke him, Jared. The last this I need is a wolf exploding in my kitchen," Emily says, voice stern. They hush up right away, not wanting to make her mad. It's not even the threat of withheld baked goods, but the fact that Emily doesn't deserve any stress, not because of the wolves. Sam's residual guilt lingers in the both of them.

"Sam! Get out here, the boys are here! I'm putting dinner out," Emily yells. There's an almighty crashing sound, probably Sam flailing around, trying to get to dinner before he or Paul demolish it.

He still manages to look imposing when he gets out here, stopping to kiss Emily before taking a seat. She serves herself a plate first, then sets the rest of the food in the middle of the table, watching them descend on it.

Halfway through dinner, when the wolves have eaten enough to not be starving, the conversation starts.

"I invited Kim to the engagement bonfire," Jared says, smirking when Emily casually flashes her ring. Sam smiles, watching his girl.

"We'll try not to scare her," he says. Jared frowns, growing serious.

"I was thinking we could tell her," he starts. Everyone goes still, looking to Sam. Surprisingly, he smiles.

"That's fine. She's pack now," he assures Jared. "How do you want to do it?"

"How do I do it without scaring the fuck out of her?" he asks, worry creeping up. Paul shrugs.

"Kim's pretty go-with-the-flow, I don't think she'd freak out too bad." He smirks now. "Especially when you tell her about the imprinting."

Jared glares at his best friend, and in a fit of immaturity, launches a spoonful of mashed potatoes at him. Paul snarls, but before anything can happen, Sam clamps a hand on his shoulder, forcing a calm.

"Kim's going to freak when she learns that she's actually dating a four-year-old," Sam grumbles. "Quit provoking Paul."

"I think it's going to be fine," Emily says. "I'll be there too, make sure it goes okay, imprint to imprint." Jared nods, feeling a little better.

The conversation gets lighter, until Sam snags the last dinner roll, and refuses to give it to Paul, which triggers a phase. Hustling, he and Jared drag Paul out just in time, watching him explode into a wolf. He snarls, and Sam, still clutching the rolls, groans before tossing it up for Paul to catching.

The wolf's tongue lolls out, and it trots off into the woods.

"Nice, Sam."

"Shut up and follow him," Sam instructs, already trembling. Jared jogs into the woods, shucking off his pants and throwing them up into a tree. Concentrating, he forces a phase, shaking his head to rid himself of disorientation.

Going from person to wolf is hard on purpose, and going from wolf to person is harder still. Jared's still only now getting the hang of it, but Sam says he's the most level-headed wolf out of the three of them.

They find Paul a little ways off, sitting back on his haunches, eyes closed.

 _Dude, what are you doing?_

 _Shut up, man I'm trying to concentrate. If I phase back in the next ten minutes, I can get back in time for pie._

 _Hurry up, you giant asshole._

 _Look who's talking, Samuel. I'm not the one trying to starve my pack._

 _Oh, for Christ Sake!_

Jared sighs, turning away from the bickering. He scans the tree line, and goes still when he spots a rustling in trees, maybe three or four hundred yards out.

 _Everyone shut up! I saw something._

 _What was it, Jared?_

 _Too big to be an animal, but no leech smell. Hikers. Come on, we have to get the hell out of here. Paul, phase back!_

 _I'm trying!_

The rustling gets closer, and out of the trees, Jared can see two people emerge, one smaller than the other. He squints, and goes cold.

It's Kim and Eric.

Panic floods his system, cutting off his ability to think rational thought. The panic spreads, and Paul is up, growling nervously, looking around wildly.

 _Jared, what?_

 _What happened man? What's going on?_

Jared tries to focus, to calm down, but his entire system is up in arms. His imprint is too close, and Paul's already crouching, gearing up for a fight. Sam follows Jared gaze, huffing quietly.

 _Hikers. Three hundred yards out._

 _Shit, Sam! What do we do? I can't phase back!_

 _You run, I'm going to trying and figure Jared out. If you hit the Canadian border, come back. That'll be plenty of time._

Paul takes off, and Jared can relax a little.

 _That's Kim, and her brother._

 _Shit! Come on, Jared, don't just stand there, she'll see us._

Just then, like she heard, Kim turns, and spots the wolves. Jared doesn't miss the way her face pinches up in fear, or the way she steps in front of her brother. The two humans tremble in fear, and Jared's rooted to the spot, mind warring. On one hand, he knows it's him that's the danger, and that he should get the hell out of here. On the other hand, Jared wants nothing more than to bound up to them, soothe Kim, protect her from the danger.

 _Jared, now, before they call the park rangers. Jared!_ _ **Jared, move now!**_

Jared buckles under the influence of the alpha command, and does as he's bid, ears flat against his head and tail tucked in between his legs. Together, he and Sam chase after Paul, following his scent. Thirty minutes later, they find him, right at the border, worrying a path into the ground.

 _Let's wait here for an hour. They'll be long gone by then._

Sam's tone is measured and calming, but neither Jared nor Paul calm down. Jared's replaying Kim's face in his mind, over and over again, letting the panic well up. It doesn't help Paul at all, who usually relies on Jared for calm.

In the end, Sam forces calm with the alpha command, and from there, talks Jared down. They run back, with Sam in front, scanning for anymore humans. They come up clear, and with that relief that Kim is safe, Jared forces a phase back. It takes a while, but Sam manages to talk Paul in phasing back, and the three of them go back to the house, greeted by a few slices of pie left out. Jared smiles, thanking god for the saint that Emily is.

He only hopes her presence will make this whole thing easier.

 **A/N: A note about Sam. I know he gets a bad rep in the fandom, being being this stuck up hardass, but I can't imagine he is. That's just the way Bella and Jake see him, and let's be honest, they don't really give him the benefit of the doubt. I think he used to be a lot like Jared and Paul, but now he's buckling under the weight of being alpha, and wanting to prove that even though he's not the rightful alpha, he can still be a good one. Okay, I'm going to stop now, but just know that I love Sam Uley with all my heart. Tune in next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this is a little late, but school's been nuts! Either way, enjoy this latest installment.**

Kim doesn't stop trembling until she gets to the house. Eric's gone pale, his jaw clamped shut. She goes to pull out the house keys, but her hands shake so hard she can barely produce the right key.

Suddenly, the door opens and Kim yelps, flinching in tandem with Eric. It's Donna, looking at them in alarm.

"What happened?" she demands, ushering them inside. She makes them sit on the couch, and sits between them, wrapping an arm around both of them. "What happened?"

No one speaks for a long time, no can. Finally, it's Eric who breaks the silence.

"There was something," he starts, voice shaky. "In the woods. It saw us."

"What, baby? Like a mountain lion?" Donna's on the verge of tears, it sounds like. Still, Kim can't bring herself to talk. Eric shakes her head vigorously.

"Not a mountain lion. It looked like… a wolf," he says. Donna blinks at him, thoroughly confused.

"A wolf? Honey, there aren't wolves in this part of Washington," Donna tells him. Eric shakes his head again.

"I saw it, mom. It was huge, like a bear. Bigger than a bear," he argues. Donna tucks him against her side, pressing a kiss into his hair.

"We'll take care of it, baby. I'll call the sheriff's station, or animal control or something. Things like this happen all the time, there's nothing to worry about." Eric nods, slumping. "Kimmy? Sweetie, are you okay too?"

Kim nods, a quick jerk of her head. She doesn't want to worry her mother. She takes a deep, measured breath. Her mother's right, of course. They live in a pretty rural place, dense forests surrounding them on all side, full of wild life. Mostly, it's deer, but there are bears and mountain lions. The Olympic Peninsula isn't fit for a wolf pack.

People see predators all the time, but this hadn't been normal. Kim remembers the eyes very, _very_ vividly. They were a very clear, intelligent brown. Kim felt as though she knew them, strange as it seems.

The thing that unnerves her the most, however, was her own conflict.

She knew that she'd been very lucky. While people came from all over to hike these trails, they were always warned about the animals. Forks simply didn't have the budget to give animal control.

But she also knew, deep down, she hadn't been truly afraid. Shocked, yes, but not afraid, not like she should've been. It had felt familiar, the great beast, but she couldn't place why.

Suddenly, the phone rings, startling all three Conwellers. Eric recovers fastest, picking up.

"Hello?" Eric's stoic expression dissolves, and a small smirk graces his face. "Sure, man, let me grab her."

Eric holds out the phone at Kim, full on smirking now.

"It's your boyfriend," he sings, loud enough for Jared to surely hear. Kim jumps up, snatching the phone out of his hands. Eric laughs, and as good as it feels to see him smile, Kim's kind of wants to smack him.

"Hey, sorry about Eric," she says. Jared laughs, but it's strained. Kim blushes, embarrassed. He's uncomfortable, she realizes. Kim shrinks in on herself. Jared's talking, but she can't hear a word he says. He's regretting everything now.

"Kim?"

"Sorry, what, I missed that last bit." Jared chuckles again, more strained.

"I just asked if you were still coming, y'know, on Friday?" Kim purses her lips, unsure. Just a few hours ago, she was head over heels in love with Jared, thrilled he was paying attention to her. The more she thought about it, however, the less it made sense.

Why would Jared Cameron be into her of all people? He'd dated six girls last year, and each one had been more beautiful than the last. Kim didn't hold a candle to them.

"Oh, about that," Kim says, voice shaking. She clears her throat; she won't cry for Jared Cameron, especially not in front of him. "I can't make it." There's a heavy silence that follows.

"Why not?" Jared asks. His voice is neutral, and honestly, that just confirms her fears. He doesn't actually care about her.

"My mom doesn't think it's a good idea," she lies, wrapping an arm around her middle.

"Oh," Jared's voice is small.

"Sorry."

"No, that's… that's okay." Jared says finally. "Um, I'll see you at school, I guess."

"Okay," Kim whispers. She wants to get the hell out of this call, and throw herself onto her bed, but she can't, not with her mother and Eric watching her in confusion. Jared hangs up, and Kim sets the phone gingerly down, running a hand through her hair.

"Did you just… break up with your boyfriend?" Eric asks, breaking the silence.

"Eric, that's enough. Why don't you take some dinner and go upstairs. Get a head start on your homework," Donna instructs. Grumbling, Eric does as he's told, stomping up the stairs.

"Who called, honey?" she asks, voice gentle.

"Jared." Kim's answer is curt, and instantly, she feels bad about it.

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's where I was after school, before Eric and I went on that hike. We went to get milkshakes, and he invited me up to his friend's bonfire." Donna raises her eyebrows, surprised.

"I thought that's what you wanted, honey, to be with Jared. Why did you tell him you couldn't come?"

"I just panicked. I mean, after hearing how he sounded after Eric called him my boyfriend. He sounded so embarrassed about it. I don't want to be with someone who's embarrassed of me." Kim explains. She flops onto a chair, sighing heavily.

"Well, that's a very mature way to think. I wish I had that kind of maturity when I was your age." Donna's eyes are wistful, and faraway.

"Are you talking about my father?" Kim asks cautiously. This has always been a hard topic for Donna, but now, Kim's curious. And besides, it'll keep her mind off of Jared.

"Oh, baby, you don't want to hear about him," Donna says, waving her off. Kim shakes her head, adamant.

"Mom, you've been saying that since I was old enough to ask, but I want a real answer now. I'm old enough to take it." Donna shuts her eyes, pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Baby, not tonight, you're already hurt—"

"Yes, tonight! I want to hear about him!" Donna goes silent, shocked. Kim has never, not once in her life, raised her voice at her mother. "I'm so sorry, mom, I didn't mean to yell—"

"You're right."

"What?"

"You're right," Donna repeats. "You need to hear this." She gestures to the couch, so Kim sits, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to her chest. Donna fills up a mug with coffee, making her way to the couch.

"Ask away."

 **A/N: Alright, so some conflict has been established. Imprinting, to me, is a very stressful, emotionally intense thing, so it's not like things can just fall together perfectly, especially with the way I imagine Kim's character to be. She's not very self-confident, and to have one the most popular boys in school, someone who she's been pining for, can very realistically give her emotional whiplash, resulting in making her uncertain about the budding relationship. Sorry for the rant, but tell me what you thought!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hi guys! Happy valentines day! Hope you all enjoy!**

Jared hangs up the phone, hands trembling. The wolf creeps up his spine, but it's with none of the usual force. Jared drags himself outside, all the way to the woods. There he phases, and lets out a low, anguished howl.

He doesn't have to wait long for someone to respond.

 _What happened?_

 _Dude, what's wrong?_

The panic in Paul's voice contrast's Sam's calm question, but Jared doesn't the energy to explain. Instead he plays back the memory of the phone call, of Kim's rejection.

 _Oh, god, you're going to fly off the handle every time you and Kim go through a rough patch, aren't you?_

 _Shut up, Paul, imprinting, especially in the first few weeks, is pretty tumultuous for a wolf._

 _Oohh, big word, Sam._

 _Shut it. Jared, things are going to be fine. You can't let the wolf control your emotions, not when it comes to her. Let your human brain take this one._

 _The one in your head, not in your—_

 _Shut up, Paul!_

Jared laughs a little, and it comes out a low bark. He's not totally fine, but he can see that Sam and Paul have a good point. Every time he hits a snag with Kim, every time he gets resistance from her, makes him want to phase. He's got to get himself back under control.

 _Emily does yoga. Maybe you could do it with her?_

 _Yeah, Jared. Up for a little downward dog action?_

Jared growls, but it's too playful to have a bite. He and Paul leap at each other, wrestling.

 _Pack it in! While we're out here, we might as well get a patrol done._

And just like that, the light mood disappears.

Sam has them patrol the treaty border for a few hours, and when it looks like the res is leech free, Sam gives them the okay to go home. Jared takes his time, gathering his thoughts. His mom's been on his case lately, about disappearing all the time. Even Parker's been asking questions.

When he does get home, in just his jeans and shoes, his mother waits on the porch, hands on her hips.

"Jared, where have you been?" she asks. Jared smiles as charmingly as he can.

"Nowhere ma, just taking a walk." He presses a kiss to her cheek, and slips in the kitchen before she can get another word in. "What's for dinner?"

"Pot roast. Now, where did you actually go?" His mother is much smaller than him, but she's raised him and Karey all on her own after his dad died, so Jared's got a healthy fear of her. He sits.

"Just walking," he answers, keeping a straight face. He's gotten much better at lying now, had to be. Sam's gag order prevents him telling his family anything, no matter how much he wants to sometimes.

"Shirtless in the woods?" Her words drip with ire, but Jared can see the genuine worry behind the words. He thinks fast.

"There's this girl," he starts. Bonnie, his mom, sits, folding her hands in front of her. "She hikes sometimes, through the woods. I've been trying to get her attention." He winces at the lie, but hopefully, his mom will just buy it as embarrassment. Bonnie starts to laugh and doesn't stop.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, it's really dumb." Bonnie shakes her head, still laughing too hard to talk. Karey walks into the kitchen and stops short when she sees her mother in hysterics.

"What's so funny?" she asks, pouring herself a glass of juice.

"Guess where Jared's been!" Bonnie says between bouts of laughter. Karey takes a seat, eyes twinkling.

"Where have you been, Jare?"

"Hiking shirtless through the woods to impress a girl!" At this, Karey cracks up, dropping her head into the cradle of her arms.

Jared waits, unimpressed, for them to finish laughing, but every time they look at him, one of them starts up again, setting the other off. It takes an entire fifteen minutes for them to calm down.

"Oh, god, Jared, we were worried you were on drugs!" Karey shakes her head, like she's trying to shake off her giggles. "I can't believe you!"

"Did it work?" Bonnie asks, in mock seriousness. Jared glares at them, but neither stop smirking at him. "Did she fall for your glorious six pack?"

"Mom!" he yelps, cheeks burning. He knows his body's changed considerably, but he so doesn't need his mother commenting on it.

"I'm sorry, I'll stop," she concedes, still laughing a little. The smile slips off her face. "Oh god, I don't have to worry any pregnant teenagers, do I? Because I don't think I'd be able to handle that, honey."

"No! Absolutely not!" Embarrassment surges through him, rousing the wolf. Immediately, his heckles rise, but Jared forces it down. His mom holds her palms up, in a peaceful gesture.

"Alright, I trust you." Karey frowns, wrapping her arms around herself. Karey has personal experience with pregnant teenagers, she used to be one. She had Parker her junior year and has only just now gotten her life back to where she wants it to be.

"Anyways, it's not like she's even looking my way. I thought for a while that we were good, but I guess not." It feels good to talk about it, even if Jared can't divulge all the details. Bonnie's eyes soften.

"Maybe you're going about this all wrong. Try to appeal to her likes, her hobbies, her interests. Show her you really care. A relationship is about being yourself with a person and enjoying life together." Jared smiles at his mom's sentiment.

"Sure, mom," he agrees. The mischievous twinkle in her eye resurfaces.

"No more hiking shirtless through the woods! It's creepy and weird!"

By the time, Jared escapes the teasing, it's pretty late, so the trudges over to his desk, pulling out some schoolwork. He gets through a solid amount of it before deciding he's done. Everything due tomorrow has been taken care of, so Jared figures that's good enough.

He flops back onto his bed, mulling over his mom's words. Appeal to Kim's likes, show her that he cared. Maybe that was it. Maybe she thought he didn't care enough. Carefully, Jared runs through everything he knows about Kim, trying to find something to get him started.

There are pins on her backpack, he remembers, of comic book characters. There's a comic book store up in Port Angeles, maybe he could take her there.

First things first, though. He needed to get back to being friends with Kim for this to work.

 **A/N: So, Jared has a plan of action! Let me know what you thought, especially of Jared's family. Tune in next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hi guys! Hope you enjoy this latest installment!**

Kim spends all week avoiding Jared, which isn't exactly the easiest thing to do. Laura tells her this is all ridiculous, but then again, boys like Laura, so she doesn't know how it feels to be in Kim's shoes.

By Friday, Kim is so hyperaware of Jared's presence that even the mention of his name makes her jittery. Lately, he, and Paul, are all anyone can talk about.

On Wednesday, right before lacrosse started, Jared quit the team. Football was one thing, but at the tribal school, lacrosse was the big sport. Jared had been considered a favorite for captain this year, so it came as a shock when announced he wasn't playing.

That wasn't the only thing either.

He'd quit all his friends too. The jocks he used to hang out with avoided him, sneering every time he got close. The girls he'd dated steered clear, like it wasn't just their reputation on the line. He skipped class like crazy as well, but the school never seemed to do much about it.

The rumors that swirled were crazy. People said he was on drugs. Other's said he dealt drugs. Some thought he was a criminal. The prevailing rumor, however, was that he was part of a cult, run by Sam Uley.

The strange thing was, it made sense.

When they first started talking, Kim noticed Jared had been different than what he's been before, but now she could see him clearly, with any rose-tinted glasses.

He was skittish, and temperamental, opting to be alone. He was a total flake, he only attended their calculus class on the regular.

Jared never seemed to be that way with her, though. When they spent time together, Jared was kind, open, and seemed to enjoy her presence.

"Maybe that's why he wanted you to go to that bonfire, Kim, so Sam and his cult could sacrifice you!" Laura taunts. They're sitting at their regular lunch table, and Kim had been talking Jared theories. Laura wasn't a fan.

"Shut up!" Still, a sense of apprehension filled her. Maybe, and not in a literal sense, Laura was right. Maybe Jared and Paul were meant to be recruiting. Maybe that's why he'd been so kind.

"Oh god, I was kidding!" Laura says, noticing the look on Kim's face. "He's not in a cult! I know the Uley's, my dad works for their construction company. They're good people. If Sam's anything like his dad, he's not a cult leader."

"I know that!" She says hastily. A blush takes over her face and Laura rolls her eyes.

"I'm so over the drama at this school," she grumbles. Kim knows that, rationally, Laura's right. But she can't help but feel like there's something wrong.

After school, she and Laura walk back to her car. Laura's car, an ancient vista cruiser, broke down, so the girls have been carpooling.

"Wanna tell me the real reason you're avoiding Jared? And don't feed me any he's in a cult bullshit, because we both know that's not true," Laura says matter-of-factly once they're in the car. Kim flushes; they were bound to have this conversation sooner or later, but Kim had been hoping for later.

"We don't know that," she says. She knows the cult thing isn't true, but Kim knows, in a way she can't explain, that Jared is part of something, something bigger than just him, Paul, and Sam.

"Come on Kim, you can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me," she says. Sighing, Kim gives in.

"It just doesn't make sense! Why would Jared Cameron like me? I'm not as pretty as Katie, or Madison, or even Jennifer!" She laments, thinking back to the girls Jared dated. Those three weren't even the prettiest, either.

"Oh, god, is that what you're worried about?" Laura frowns at her. That's Kim's favorite thing about Laura, that she tells it straight. Right now, however, Kim sort of hates that about her.

"Kim, you dummy, Jared likes you because you're cool, and nicer than anyone ever," she explains. Kim frowns.

"He likes me because I'm nice?" It doesn't make sense.

"Think about the other girls he's dated. Every girl turned out to be a drama-obsessed pyscho! You're a breath of fresh air, someone Jared can be with and enjoy himself. You guys complement each other. You relax him, and he makes you braver." Laura's right, like usual. He has made her braver; Kim's more outspoken in class now, only because she's so used to talking to Jared.

"You really think he likes me?" she asks, voice small. Laura rolls her eyes.

"You tell me, Kimmy, you spent more time with him," she says, running a hand through her hair.

Thinking about it, Kim realizes she's right. Jared spent a long time just being friends with her, more than he had with any of the other girls. She thinks back to the conversations they'd had, deep and insightful. Jared knew more about her hopes, dreams, and fears than any other person. What's more, he'd actually wanted to listen to her.

She had relaxed him, she thinks. He wore an easy smile anytime they were together, and when he'd kissed her, he'd been so exhilarated.

Maybe it didn't matter that she wasn't most drop dead gorgeous girl Jared had ever seen. They liked spending time together. The connection between them was so strong, Kim couldn't even pretend to deny it.

"Laura," she says excitedly. "He really does like me!" Something warm passed through her, all the way down to the bones.

"I knew that, I've been saying it all week!"

After she drops Laura off, she rushes home, grabbing up the phone and punching in the number she knew by heart.

"Hello?" Kim falters at the woman's voice but swallows her fears down.

"Hi, this is Kim Conweller, I'm a friend of Jared's. Is he around?" she says.

"Oh! Sure honey, let me grab him for you," the woman says. There's a quiet thumping, like someone going up the stairs, and then a much louder one.

"Hello?" Jared sounds out of breath, and Kim has to smile.

"Hey, what're you up to right now?" she asks, before she can chicken out. She's going to straighten this whole thing out.

"Uh, I'm about to go… run an errand for my mom, but I'll be back by eight. What's up?"

"Do you want to go to the pier with me, around 8:30? Maybe get a milkshake? My treat," she offers.

"Really?" Jared sounds pleasantly surprised and Kim counts it as a win. "Yeah, I'd love to. I'll come pick you up around after I get back, around 8:15."

"It's a date," Kim says, confidence in her voice.

 **A/N: Okay, so some of Kim's worries have been ironed out! Let me know what you thought, any critiques, and see you next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Okay so I know I missed two Wednesdays, and I'm really sorry about it, but I'm finally on spring break, so I can write more! To make up for the missing, I'm giving you guys both updates at the same time. Enjoy!**

Jared considers himself a very levelheaded person, even in the face of extreme stress. When he exploded into a giant wolf in the middle of a camping trip, he didn't panic, or maim any of his friends. He kept his cool and let Sam find him.

Now, though, he's running circles around Sam and Paul, anxiously worrying about the time. He knows, subconsciously, that Paul is going to try and rip out his throat any minute, and that Sam is most likely going to let him, but he doesn't give a damn.

Kim's finally, _finally_ coming around, and he wants to make this perfect.

 _Sam, I'm going to kill him, stand back._

 _As much as I'd love that, we need him. If it comes down to a fight, seven versus two doesn't sound that great._

 _Oh, nice, you guys, make fun of the guy with his entire future hanging in the balance!_

 _Chill! You are guys are like soulmates or shit, things will work out._

 _Usually, Paul's an idiot. But he's right about this._

Paul snarls, snapping his jaws at Sam. Sam growls back, and just like that, a wrestling match starts. Sam and Paul tumble in the grass, and somehow, Sam ends up sitting on Paul's head. Jared watches in amusement.

 _You're crushing me with your giant ass!_

 _Deal with it, you pissbaby!_

Paul dislodges Sam, and headbutts him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of Sam. Sam lunges, sending Paul flying. Sam's clearly going to win; he has the experience and size advantage.

 _Just give up, Paulie! I promise I won't tell anyone you fight like a 98-year-old grandmother!_

Sam's been in a much lighter mood now, after the engagement. Emily's officially moved into Sam's place, and it feels much homier now. Once, Jared caught him sizing up the spare bedroom, drawing up plans to put a crib in there.

Of course, Jared and Paul never let him live it down, teasing him mercilessly about it, in front of Emily. She verbally tore into Paul and Jared so badly after that, Paul had phased. He'd lost muffin privileges for a week for that one.

As corny as Sam and Emily could be, Jared wanted what they had desperately. Sam had gone through hell to be with her, and Emily protected him like she was the wolf. They loved each other, deeply.

The fight dies down, when they get close to the river. Sam shoves Paul in, and Paul sprays him with a hearty shake down. They're taking a break right now, from their patrol, and by Jared's count, it should be about 7:15. He has an hour.

 _Alright, Jared, tap out if you're so desperate._

Sam sounds resigned, but sure. Jared grins, which feels weird in wolf form, and starts off for Sam's place. He's been making it a habit to come from there, so he has an actual excuse for where he's been. The official story is that Sam's volunteering for the tribal council, along with him and Paul. His mom bought it, but Parker and Karey were suspicious.

At home, he showers and changes into the Karey approved outfit left out for him. It's a simple white t-shirt, along with a flannel over top, and his favorite pair of jeans.

At 8, Jared hops into his truck and heads for Kim's house. He's a little early, but he's sure Kim won't mind. He takes a deep breath, and hops out of his truck, headed for the door. The door is wrenched open, and suddenly Jared finds himself faced with a smirking Eric.

"Uh, hey. Is your sister around?" he asks, a little awkwardly. Eric nods, gesturing with his chin to the living room.

"She's still upstairs. Come on in," he says. Jared follows Eric in, taken aback by how the siblings are so unalike. Eric exudes confidence, walking with a swagger that reminds Jared of himself a little.

Jared takes a seat on the couch, more than a little awkward. Eric sizes him up, with an expression Jared thinks is supposed to be menacing. He hides a smile; Eric can't be older than Parker.

"Dude, I'd give you the shovel talk but…" Eric trails off, gesturing to Jared.

"Nah, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt your sister." The promise carries more weight than he can even understand. Eric flops onto the couch, grinning.

"Cool," he says. "Cause I'm pretty sure you could squash me like a bug." Jared cracks up, smirking at Eric.

"I don't know, those muscles look pretty serious to me," Jared says in mock-serious tones. Eric preens a little sitting up straighter.

"I play football," he supplies, looking proud. "I'm really good too."

"Yeah?" Jared asks, a little wistful. "What position?"

"Half-back or running back," Eric says. "I think they're more important than the quarter back."

"Eric, honey, who are you talking—oh! You must be Jared! Hi, I'm Donna." Donna looks a lot like Kim, the same skin and wide cheekbones, the same heart shaped face. Jared stands to shake her hand.

"Yeah. I'm a big fan of your show," he says.

"Oh yeah? Great to hear. I'll grab Kimmy," she answers.

A couple minutes later, Kim comes down the stairs, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a simple sweater. Jared's convinced he's never seen a girl so beautiful.

"Hey," he greets, voice dreamy. Kim smiles at him, warm and familiar.

"Hi."

"Okay, guys, not too late. Kimmy, 11:30 okay?" Donna says, putting an arm around Eric. Kim nods, and with that they're off.

Jared drives them up to the pier, and they stop off to get milkshakes to go. They head to the beach, and sit in the sand, watching the waves.

"God, it's colder than I thought it would be," Kim mumbles, rubbing her arms and shoulders. Jared grins: a perfect opportunity. Gently, he pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her, marveling at the wave her frame fits neatly into his. Kim melts into his warmth.

"How are you so warm?" she asks. Jared chuckles humorlessly. This is their first, _real_ date, the one that actually counts. As much as he wants to tell Kim the truth, he's not going to, not yet.

"Uh, good circulation, I guess," he answers. Kim laughs, and tucks her face into the crook of his neck. Jared tries to relax, but all that goes up in the air the moment he feels her cool lips brush against his neck.

 _She's just trying to warm up, man, not kiss you! Get a grip,_ he thinks sharply to himself. Kim seems to realize what she's doing and pulls away abruptly. Even though he can't see the blush on her face, he can feel the heat radiating off her skin.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about something," she starts. She pulls away completely, looking at him square in the eye. Jared looks back, shoving away the rising sense of apprehension.

"Shoot."

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you thought.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Alright, rapid fire update number two!**

Kim takes a deep breath before she continues. She knows what she's going to say, she's said it in the mirror about a hundred times.

"I'm sorry for flaking out on you before." The look of worry on Jared's face morphs into confusion. "After you invited me to the bonfire, I flaked on you without giving you a real reason, and that wasn't fair."

"Hey, Kim, it's okay, you don't owe me anything," Jared says, taking one of her hands in his. Immediately, Kim feels calmer, more confident.

"I know. But I like spending time with you. I guess I was just worried that…" Kim trails off, searching for the words. She wants to make this right, because Jared deserves that much.

"You heard what everyone else was saying, didn't you," he says. He pulls his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He looks small, and vulnerable.

"No! I mean, yeah, obviously I have, but—"

"None of that stuff is true," Jared interrupts, a hard look in his eyes. "We're trying to do _good_ out here, you know, things the tribe actually needs."

"Jared," her voice is soft, but Jared quiets like she's yelled or something. "I believe you. You're a good person. That's what I like best about you." He beams at her, leaning in a little closer.

"So, why'd you say no to the bonfire?" he asks after a moment, expression serious. Kim takes a sip of her milkshake, if only to have something to do with her hands.

"Look, it's no secret that you and I run in very different circles," she starts. Jared squeezes her hand, and just like that, she feels better. "It was hard to imagine that someone as cool and popular as you would like me."

"Jeez, is that what you think?" Jared asks, offended. "I don't give a damn about any of that stuff, and I don't even hang with those guys anymore—"

"Jared, I know." Heavy silence hangs between them for a moment, before Kim presses on. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I was being dumb. We have a good time together, and I've never clicked with anybody like I've clicked with you. I mean, I can't pretend that I'm totally over everything I used to think, but I want to try. Being with you, I mean. If you want."

Jared's got a blazing look in his eyes, and for a minute, Kim worries she might've overstepped, said something that will send him running, but all coherent thought sails right out the window the second he presses his lips against hers.

Jared kisses with purpose, more intensely than the other kiss they'd had. Jared's hands come up to cup her face on either side. He leans into her, and Kim wraps her arms around his shoulder, so she doesn't fall backwards into the sand.

Jared drags his tongue along the seam of her lips, and Kim parts them, letting him in. The kiss deepens, and she works one of her hands into his hair, carding her fingers through the short strands. She's starting to feel lightheaded, dizzy from a lack of oxygen. Objectively, she knows she can breathe while kissing someone, but being with Jared, especially like this, makes her forget everything.

Regretfully, she breaks the kiss, gasping in lungful's of air. Jared presses his forehead against hers, sighing contentedly.

"I'm never going to get used to that," she admits, unable to keep the smile off her face. Jared chuckles.

"Good," he says simply, ducking in for another kiss. It goes on and on, once Kim figures out how to angles her head, so she can breathe through her nose. Their milkshakes sit in the sand besides them, going forgotten.

Eventually, Jared pulls away. He keeps his arms right where they are, snug against her waist.

"We should probably get you back," he says, reluctant. "I don't want your mom to worry."

Kim only nods, needing a minute to collect herself. Her head is reeling, and her heart is threatening to beat right out of her chest. Jared stands, offering a hand to help her up as well. Kim collects the milkshakes, frowning at them.

"I think these are kind of melted," she says, swirling the contents of one of the cups.

"Toss 'em," Jared says, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "I got all the sugar I need right here." Kim bursts out laughing at his words, leaning into him. She loves how goofy and carefree he can be, like spending time with her makes him lighter.

On the way back home, Jared throws on an old CD, hits from the seventies and the eighties.

"This was my dad's," he explains. "He gave it to me before died, right when I started middle school. Said this was the mix that got him mom." Kim stays quiet, listening to the music. It's an old _Tears For Fears_ song, cheery enough to keep the mood from becoming somber.

"I love this song," she admits. "You dad had pretty awesome taste." Jared's eyes are wistful, but he's still smiling.

"He would've loved you." Jared says, smiling over to her. Kim place's her hand over top of his, on the gear shift. The rest of the ride is quieter, but it's a peaceful, content quiet, one that makes Kim feel safe and cared for.

At her house, Kim kisses him quick before sliding out of his truck, promising him that she'll see him at school on Monday, and that she'll call him tomorrow. She stands in the door frame, watching him drive away.

"So, I guess you and your boyfriend are back to your regularly scheduled levels of mushy." Eric's voice startles her. She whirls around to find her brother smirking at her, cookie in hand. After years of messing with Eric, her reflexes are sharp, so it's no trouble snatching the cookie out of his hand and taking a bite.

"Hey!" They tussle for a minute, before Kim relinquishes the cookie, pulling her brother into a hug.

"Get off me weirdo!" Eric struggles, but she's bigger than him. She plants a kiss on his forehead before letting him go, cackling at the way he frantically wipes it off.

"Why are you so happy?" Eric grumbles. "It's weird." Kim grins at him, uncaring.

"You better get used to this," she sings, reaching over to ruffle Eric's hair. Scowling, he ducks, moving away from her.

"You're going to scare away your new boyfriend," Eric warns, stuffing the rest of the cookie into his mouth.

"I don't think so. I think he really likes me," she sighs, flopping onto the couch. Eric comes to sit on the other side, flicking on the TV.

"Can't imagine why, you looney-toon," Eric teases. He smiles, uncharacteristically kind, and hands over the remote. "You get a free pass tonight, but any other night, I pick the show." Kim laughs, flipping through the channels until she finds the one she's looking for. It's a rerun of The O.C.

"I know you're trying to make fun of me, but I don't even care because that's how hot Marissa is."

"Ew, gross!"

 **A/N: Alright, let me know what you thought, and I'll 100% update on the 14** **th** **!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys, a little shorter today, I know, but things are definitely coming, plot wise!**

Everything in Jared's world is perfect. His grades are decent, Sam's not riding him or Paul too hard, and Kim spends as much time as she can with him.

Well, there is one little thing.

Jared hasn't told her. Not about the wolves, the legends, the threats, or the soul-deep bond between them. Mostly, he doesn't think about it too much, because the Cullen's have more or less settled, and Sam is finally starting to believe they won't eat someone. There are still times, however, that it comes to the forefront of his mind. Today is one of those times.

He, Kim, and Paul are all sitting in Sam's living room, unboxing a Playstation 2. Paul's hunched defensively around the box, arguing that since he already has one at home, he should be in charge of putting it together. Sam argues that he should be the one setting it up, because he bought it. Jared and Kim are snuggled up on the couch, watching the exchange.

"Dude, Jared, tell him!" Paul whines, pointing a finger at Jared. He shrugs, not even bothering to hide his smirk.

"Not my call, man." Paul grimaces, and turns to Kim.

"I'm your favorite, right Kim? Tell Sam that I have more experience!"

"You're being so infantile right now, give me the box!" Sam argues, trying to snatch it away from Paul. The idiot in question dances away, still waiting for Kim. She sighs heavily before getting to her feet.

"I have a solution," she announces.

"Finally, someone rational," Sam mutters. Kim call for Emily to come into the room. At first, they'd been a little awkward around each other, but once Kim proved how kind and amazing she was, Emily grew incredibly fond of her, treating her like a younger sister.

"Yeah?" Emily asked, brushing flour off of her hands.

"Wanna help me set up the Playstation while the boys get dinner ready?" Kim asks serenely. Jared cracks up, and Paul and Sam break out into a chorus of defensive protests. They fall on deaf ears, however, because Emily pulls her apron up over her head, walks over to Sam, and slips it onto him. The tie in the back barely does up, but Emily admires him anyways, calling him handsome and kissing his cheek. Kim raises an eyebrow at Jared and he gets up. He's not even mad; this is about to be hilarious.

"Em, wait," Sam tries to protest, but Emily shoves him bodily from the living room. Paul is the last to join them in the kitchen.

"Why am I being punished because you two are whipped?" he grumbles, flopping onto a chair.

"Get up stupid, it's all hands on deck," Jared says, taking a look at the cookbook left on the counter. Giggling fills the living room, and Kim whispers to Emily that they might have to get in there and fix dinner anyways. Emily, in a whisper as well, says that she'd leave Sam if he couldn't do something as simple as dinner.

"I don't know why they bother whispering, they know we can hear them," Paul complains, still draped over his chair. Sam frowns.

"Kim doesn't," he says simply. Jared can't help the way he tenses, drawing his arms around himself defensively.

"I'm taking my time," he snaps. Sam holds his hands up.

"And that's fine. This is pretty much the most important thing you could her. Do it right," he says. Still, Jared can't help but feel judged. Paul rolls his eyes.

"Dude, you PMS more than Kim does. One minute everything's fine, the next you're whining about her not knowing," he complains.

"I'm not whining," Jared argues.

"Maybe not just now, but you do it a lot," Paul concedes. Sam picks up the cookbook, flipping through it, while surveying the ingredients on the counter.

"I think she was making meatloaf," he says, a heavy frown on his face. Jared smirks; he maybe be dramatic, but he'll never be as dramatic as Sam. Privately, he thinks that Sam is the definition of a drama queen, with all the worrying he does and how seriously he takes everything.

"Cool, that's easy," Paul declares. "You just mash up the meat and shape it in a loaf."

"Gross. Remind me to never eat anything made by you ever," Jared teases. They bicker back and forth for a while, blatantly not helping Sam. Eventually, he threatens to withdraw dinner privileges, which is enough for Jared and Paul to get out of their seats.

Still, the Kim issue weighs on the back of his mind.

Sam manages to wrangle his pack enough to get dinner ready, and when they finally get it done, on the table, ready to be devoured, the girls have been playing playstation for at least an hour.

"What took so long?" Emily teasingly asks, holding a hand out for Sam to haul her up.

"I'll tell you why," Kim says, smirking. "They couldn't decide what a meatloaf was, and Sam ended up doing the whole thing himself."

"It's scary how accurate that was," Sam snarks.

"No way, I was helping!" Paul argues. Jared quirks an eyebrow.

"You were _mixing,"_ Jared counters. Kim laughs, leaning in Jared's side. Automatically, he loops an arm around her shoulders, quietly marveling at how neatly her fits against him. Everyone heads into the kitchen, Emily in the lead. She flashes a smile, presses a kiss to Sam's cheek, tells him how good everything looks.

"And what did you do?" Kim asks Jared, a teasing smile on her lips. Jared pretends to pout.

"I set the timer!"

"How helpful of you," she says, unimpressed. Emily doles out portions, making sure she and Kim get enough before letting the wolves descend, literally.

Emily and Kim share a look, a silent conversation passing between them. A feeling of deep contentment settles over him. Kim fits here, with him, in this life. She belongs in this pack.

He's going to tell her, he decides. He's going to be completely honest with her, let her in completely.

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought!**


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